Aydın Tiryaki (February 16, 2026)

As a society, one of our greatest misconceptions is presenting social assistance under the guise of a “favor” or “charity.” However, human dignity is wounded whenever an individual is forced to prove their state of need. It is time to leave behind this cumbersome, bureaucratic, and “stigmatizing” system and deliver the natural right that every citizen possesses simply by being a part of this nation.

1. Why Now? The Reality of Social Aid in Türkiye

Today, millions of our citizens receive social assistance under various names. The fact that such a large portion of the population is dependent on state support is the clearest evidence that the current system is no longer manageable or sustainable. This mass dependency is not a choice but a result created by the system itself. This is precisely why phasing out fragmented and undignified aid models and transitioning to a Basic Citizen Income system is not just an option, but a social necessity.

2. A Citizen’s Share, Not a Subsistence Wage

The amount we propose here is not a “subsistence wage” or a salary intended to replace work. This distinction is critical:

• Definition of the Right: This income is a natural benefit of living in these lands and belonging to this nation, contributing to the citizen’s basic standard of living.
• Employment Balance: It is vital that this income is not kept at a level that serves as a “sole source of living,” in order to preserve the productivity and willingness of citizens to work. While preventing employment issues, this fixed share received by every citizen will serve as a fundamental “security net.”

3. A World First: The Türkiye Model

Today, there is not a single country in the world that applies this system (Universal Basic Income) as a permanent income covering the entire nation. While pilot studies in countries like Finland, Canada, and Kenya have yielded successful results, they have always been limited to specific regions or groups. Türkiye can lead the world by expanding this system to all 86 million citizens. This is not just an economic move, but a global paradigm shift.

4. Full Equality and Unconditional Right

The most fundamental and powerful aspect of the proposed system is the principle of full equality. This income will be provided in equal amounts and without any preconditions to every single citizen—from a holding owner to a minimum wage worker, from a CEO of a large company to an unemployed youth, and from a newborn baby to a retiree.

• Age Limit: The income for children under 18 will be delivered to their families; after the age of 18, it will be deposited directly into their own accounts.
• The Dignity Factor: The goal in this system is not to “identify the poor,” but to deliver each citizen’s share of the nation’s wealth in advance. True equality, where no one’s dignity is bruised, can only be achieved this way.

5. From Symbolic Beginnings to a Strong Foundation

The system must be built on a realistic foundation. Starting with massive figures all at once could shake economic balances; therefore, the process will progress gradually:

• The First Step: Initially, it will start with symbolic amounts based on budget possibilities.
• Growth and Diversification: Over time, these figures will grow rapidly through the prevention of waste in public resources, the termination of the rent-seeking economy, and the inclusion of new-generation resources (automation and AI taxes, etc.).
• Real Value: Payments will not just increase on paper; they will be constantly updated based on real values according to actual inflation data, forming a significant social base over time.
• Payment Order: To avoid confusion, payments will be scheduled according to the citizens’ days of birth (e.g., those born on the 3rd of the month receive it on the 3rd, those on the 27th receive it on the 27th).

6. Resources: Liquidating Waste and Rent

The answer to the question “Where will the money come from?” lies in the resources that the state currently uses inefficiently:

• Unification of the Aid Budget: The current fragmented and bureaucratic social aid budget will be entirely transferred to this pool. (Supports for those with special needs, such as disability and elderly care, will be protected separately outside this system.)
• A Final End to Tax Amnesties: Tax amnesties, which disrupt the discipline of tax payments, will become a thing of the past. Every penny the state is required to collect will flow directly into this fund.
• Public Waste and Erroneous Projects: The irrational “guarantee payments” in Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) projects and City Hospitals will be stopped. The billions of liras currently going to a few companies will be transformed into the collective income of 86 million citizens.

7. Social and Economic Revitalization

Basic Citizen Income is a motor that will revitalize the economy from the bottom up. Every penny that enters a citizen’s pocket will return directly to local tradespeople, production, and consumption; this, in turn, will flow back to the state as tax revenue. More importantly, this system liberates the individual. The relationship between the state and the citizen evolves from one of “gratitude” to one of “right.”

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A Note on Methods and Tools: All observations, ideas, and solution proposals in this study are the author’s own. AI was utilized as an information source for researching and compiling relevant topics strictly based on the author’s inquiries, requests, and directions; additionally, it provided writing assistance during the drafting process. (The research-based compilation and English writing process of this text were supported by AI as a specialized assistant.)